You really have to love the wisdom of record label executives. Let's say you are one of these guys and you sign a band like Klaatu for the unique sound and songwriting skills that they possess. Then almost immediately you begin putting pressure on them to sound like everyone else so that they can get radio airplay. When that doesn't help over the course of three albums, you fire their producer and replace him. Then on that fourth disc, you have most of the parts the band played replaced by session musicians and the whole album reworked without their consent after they are done recording. Then when it bombs you dump them from your label. It makes perfect sense doesn't it? Well, not so much as I can see, but that's exactly the story of this Klaatu's fourth album. While there is some good material here, and nothing is really "bad," it's certainly the weakest effort from the band. And considering that although it bears their name they had only marginal say in the final result, that's a really sad moment for them. This is all fairly generic pop rock, but Klaatu's genius still manages to show through at points. Some of these songs, in their original format, surfaced on their Sun Set, and I can tell you that in all cases where the band was going with these was superior to what the label's group of hired guns came up with. This is worth having for Klaatu completists, and also for those looking to hear the difference. It is definitely listenable; it's just that they have so much better material available.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.